Ice-cream-cone dispenser.



M. H FISHER. ICE GRBAM com: DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1911.

Patented]. Oct. 2%, 1913,

MILAN H. FISHER, @F UHIUAGO, EELLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T FRANK L. WHEEL, 0F

, UI-IICA, ILLINOIS.

IUE-CMEAM-UUNE nrsrnnsnn,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l MILAN H. Frsmn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in'the county of Cook'and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Cream-Cone Dispensers; and I do here by declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

With the extensive sale of ice cream and other confections in pastry containers or cones, various devices for containing and dispensing the cones for protecting the same from dirt and contamination have been constructed and have come upon the market. In some of these, the nested cones are supported by a centrally apertured rubber diaphragm positioned across the bottom of an upright glass or other container supported upon a suitable base, in which is a door or other opening to permit the withdrawal of the bottom cone through the diaphragm, the remaining cones of the nest being supported thereafter upon the diaphragm. It has been found in practice that the rubber soon becomes foul and quickly deteriorates, affording an insuflicient support for the cones and to extend the life of the diaphragm in operative condition as much as possible, the diaphragms are made to exert such tension upon the cones when the diaphragm is new,

that many of the cones are broken and wasted. Owing to the exceedingly fragile character of the-cones, it is important to provide a resilient supporting means therefor exerting only sufficient pressure at any time upon the bottom cone to support the nest when the device is full and never sufficient to break or crush the same.

The object of this invention. is to afibrd resilient means for supporting the cones, of such a character as to exert slight frictional efi'ect upon the sides of the cones and which permits easy withdrawal of the bottom cone and immediate engagement of the next succeeding cone above the same without possibility of injury.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a non-porous supporting means, incapable of absorbing or retaining any contaminating material or substance, and on Specification of ltetters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1911.

Paten'te ct...-%8, f i Serial Ito, 661,450.

which the cones at all times are lightly and yieldlngly supported and retained in a sanitary condition. The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a view in elevation, of a dispensing apparatus partly broken, and equipped with supporting means embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the supporting means, showing the same removed from the dispenser. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of 2, showing in dotted lines the cone about to be dispensed VAS shown in the drawings: 1, indicates the base, which may be cylindric and of cast metal or any suitable material, and is secured upon a bottom piece 2, and is provided with a cap or cover \3, having a relatively large aperture in th s top thereof surrounded by adownwardly directed peripheral flange 4, the bottom of which is turned inwardly to afford a lip 5, on which is supported the glass or other transparent cont ainer 6, also cylindric in form and of soilicient height to receive the desired number of cones therein. A removable cover 7, is supported onthe top of the container, as shown in Fig. 1. lhe top 7 is rigidly connected with the cover 3, by bolts 17, which act to strengthen the construction and protect the container 6, from injury during shipment and use. As shown, an opening is provided extending for approximately the entire height of the base and hinged therein is a door 8, to close the opening, and which, when opened, permits access to the bottom cone to permit the removal thereof.

Secured at the bottom of the container 6, is the supporting means for the cone nest. For this purpose, as shown, a metallic band 9, of suilicient length to extend around the flange 4, is outwardly turned at its end and apertured to receive a clamping bolt 10, therethrough, whereby said band may be rigidly clamped on said flange a, as shown in Fig. l, and secured on said band at equal distances apart thereon are spring fingers 11, which inclme downwardly and converge inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and at their lowerends are bent inwardly to afiord a rounded or convex face 12, to bear upon the cone, as shown in Fig. 3. Said spring plates may be of any desired number. Six

. the lower end of the spring fingers.

I ing the glass retainer into position,

are shown, though, of course, a greater or a less number may be used if required. Said spring fingers 11, are constructed of thin, resilient sheet metal, which are punched or stamped at their upper ends to receive the band 9, therethrough, and below said punchings are bent quite sharply inwardly and taper from said band downwardly to their free extremities.

The operation is as follows: The cones are inserted in nested form in the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose, the cover is removed and the cones in nested form slid into place, the container being held in a somewhat inclined position. When the container is filled, the cover, of course, is restored to place and the cones are supported upon the bottom cone of the nest, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is lightly gripped by the rounded or convex bearing surface at Only sufiicient pressure can be exerted by these spring fingers to support the contents of the container when full, and in consequence, the bottom cone may be withdrawn from engagement with the spring fingers through the base, the pull required being very light. When the bottom cone 13, is withdrawn, the nest, of course, descends until the spring fingers engage the next succeeding upper cone, arresting the further downward movement of the nest when supporting the cones as before described.

The entire construction is readily keptin a sanitary condition, as the glass container 6, may be readily lifted from the base and the base and supporting means secured thereon may be immersed in boiling water or sterilized or otherwise cleaned, as desired, and may be re-assembled by merely returnas shown in Fig. 1.

Of course, I am aware that numerous details of this construction may be varied, without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described a container having a relatively large aperture in the top thereof, a downwardly directed peripheral flange connected with said container and projecting thereinto. an inwardly directed flange on the lower end thereof, a casing adapted to rest upon said inwardly directed flange, a band secured around the exterior of the downwardly directed flange.

and a series of flexible fingers secured upon said band and projecting inwardly toward a common point beneath the discharge end of said casing.

2. In a device of the class described a container, an apertured cap on the upper end thereof, a peripheral flange surrounding the aperture in said cap, and projecting downwardly into the container, an inwardly directed lip on the lower end of said flange, a casing adapted to rest upon said lip and fit within the aperture in said cap,a band secured to said downwardly projecting flange and a plurality of flexible fingers secured to said band and proiecting inwardly beneath the discharge end of said casing.

3. In a dispensing apparatus of the class described an upright container,v a clamping band secured concentrically about the lower end thereof, inwardly directed slotted spring fingers threaded on said band and acting to'support the nest of articles by yieldingly engaging the lowermost thereof. and a convex bearing face at the free end of each of said fingers adapted to bear against and support said articles.

4. In a dispensing apparatus of the class described an upright container, a series of independent tapered spring members curved at one end and having a slot therein, a bead turned on the other end affording a rounded contact surface, and a band threaded through said slots and secured around said container adapted to support said fingers.

5. A device of the class described embracing a container, a resilient band secured in the interior thereof, a series of flexible slotted fingers threaded thereon, having one end curved concentric with said container and an inturned lip on the opposite end adapted to contact the object supported thereby.

6.. In a dispensing apparatus of the class described a container, resilient members, and a band threaded throughsaid slots and secured to said container to support said fingers in operative position within said container.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILAN H. FISHER.

Witnesses LAWRENCE RErBsrEIN, GEORGE R. MOORE.

a plurality of slotted I 

